Washington (CNN) - A conservative advocacy group, the American Future Fund, is intensifying its campaign to defeat Chuck Hagel, the defense secretary nominee, with a new national ad highlighting some of his comments from last week's confirmation hearing widely-panned by critics.

The ad, entitled "Novice," is set to air nationally on some of the talk shows this coming Sunday and uses clips that paint Hagel's testimony in a poor light. In one clip he is asked about past comments he made that Israel was keeping "Palestinians caged up like animals." When asked about the remark, the ad uses part of Hagel's response aid at the hearing when he said "I don't remember the context or when I said it."FULL POST

(CNN) - Democratic Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin is making clear he is fed up with Republicans dragging their feet on Chuck Hagel's nomination for Defense Secretary, and now says he will schedule a vote soon, even over Republican opposition.

"We can't not vote because there is dissatisfaction on the part of people because that could be endless," said Levin, D-Michigan.FULL POST

The president's move comes on the eve of confirmation hearings Thursday for his CIA director-nominee John Brennan, and complaints from senators - including several Democrats - about secrecy surrounding the drone policy.

Washington (CNN) - CNN has learned there are now at least five Republican senators who would oppose a filibuster of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense, all but ensuring the embattled nominee will be confirmed in the coming days.

According to a CNN survey of senators, the five are Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mike Johanns of Nebraska -who both support Hagel taking over the top post at the Pentagon – and John McCain of Arizona, Richard Burr of North Carolina, and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma – who all oppose Hagel's nomination but also disagree with blocking it by filibuster.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Despite his sharp criticism of cabinet nominee Chuck Hagel, Sen. John McCain said Monday he would oppose any effort by his colleagues to block an up-or-down vote on President Obama's pick to run the Department of Defense.

"I do not support a filibuster," McCain said. "I don't think it's appropriate and I would oppose such a move."FULL POST

(CNN) - Robert Gibbs, former White House press secretary and senior adviser to the president's re-election bid, said Sunday that President Obama's nominee for defense secretary didn't perform too well during his confirmation hearing last week.

Gibbs, however, expressed confidence that former Sen. Chuck Hagel would be confirmed and would make "a good secretary of defense."FULL POST